Book: Diary of Samuel Pepys, 1661 N.S. Complete

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27th. This morning our maid Dorothy and my wife parted, which though she
be a wench for her tongue not to be borne with, yet I was loth to part
with her, but I took my leave kindly of her and went out to Savill's, the
painter, and there sat the first time for my face with him; thence to
dinner with my Lady; and so after an hour or two's talk in divinity with
my Lady, Captain Ferrers and Mr. Moore and I to the Theatre, and there saw
"Hamlett" very well done, and so I home, and found that my wife had been
with my aunt Wight and Ferrers to wait on my Lady to-day this afternoon,
and there danced and were very merry, and my Lady very fond as she is
always of my wife. So to bed.

28th. At home all the morning; at noon Will brought me from Whitehall,
whither I had sent him, some letters from my Lord Sandwich, from Tangier;
where he continues still, and hath done some execution upon the Turks, and
retaken an Englishman from them, of one Mr. Parker's, a merchant in
Marke-lane. In the afternoon Mr. Pett and I met at the office; there
being none more there than we two I saw there was not the reverence due to
us observed, and so I took occasion to break up and took Mr. Gawdon along
with me, and he and I (though it rained) were resolved to go, he to my
Lord Treasurer's and I to the Chancellor's with a letter from my Lord
to-day. So to a tavern at the end of Mark Lane, and there we staid till
with much ado we got a coach, and so to my Lord Treasurer's and lost our
labours, then to the Chancellor's, and there met with Mr. Dugdale, and
with him and one Mr. Simons, I think that belongs to my Lord Hatton, and
Mr. Kipps and others, to the Fountain tavern, and there staid till twelve
at night drinking and singing, Mr. Simons and one Mr. Agar singing very
well. Then Mr. Gawdon being almost drunk had the wit to be gone, and so I
took leave too, and it being a fine moonshine night he and I footed it all
the way home, but though he was drunk he went such a pace as I did admire
how he was able to go. When I came home I found our new maid
Sarah--[Sarah did not stay long with Mrs. Pepys, who was continually
falling out with her. She left to enter Sir William Penn's
service.]--come, who is a tall and a very well favoured wench, and one
that I think will please us. So to bed.

29th. I lay long in bed, till Sir Williams both sent me word that we were
to wait upon the Duke of York to-day; and that they would have me to meet
them at Westminster Hall, at noon: so I rose and went thither; and there I
understand that they are gone to Mr. Coventry's lodgings, in the Old
Palace Yard, to dinner (the first time I knew he had any); and there I met
them two and Sir G. Carteret, and had a very fine dinner, and good
welcome, and discourse; and so, by water, after dinner to White Hall to
the Duke, who met us in his closet; and there he did discourse to us the
business of Holmes, and did desire of us to know what hath been the common
practice about making of forrayne ships to strike sail to us, which they
did all do as much as they could; but I could say nothing to it, which I
was sorry for. So indeed I was forced to study a lie, and so after we
were gone from the Duke, I told Mr. Coventry that I had heard Mr. Selden
often say, that he could prove that in Henry the 7th's time, he did give
commission to his captains to make the King of Denmark's ships to strike
to him in the Baltique. From thence Sir W. Pen and I to the Theatre, but
it was so full that we could hardly get any room, so he went up to one of
the boxes, and I into the 18d. places, and there saw "Love at first
sight," a play of Mr. Killigrew's, and the first time that it hath been
acted since before the troubles, and great expectation there was, but I
found the play to be a poor thing, and so I perceive every body else do.
So home, calling at Paul's Churchyard for a "Mare Clausum," having it in
my mind to write a little matter, what I can gather, about the business of
striking sayle, and present it to the Duke, which I now think will be a
good way to make myself known. So home and to bed.

30th. In the morning to the Temple, Mr. Philips and Dr. Williams about my
several law matters, and so to the Wardrobe to dinner, and after dinner
stole away, my Lady not dining out of her chamber, and so home and then to
the office all the afternoon, and that being done Sir W. Batten and I and
Captain Cock got a bottle of sack into the office, and there we sat late
and drank and talked, and so home and to bed. I am this day in very good
health, only got a little cold. The Parliament has sat a pretty while.
The old condemned judges of the late King have been brought before the
Parliament, and like to be hanged. I am deep in Chancery against Tom
Trice, God give a good issue; and myself under great trouble for my late
great expending of money vainly, which God stop for the future. This is
the last day for the old State's coyne

[In a speech of Lord Lucas in the House of Lords, the 22nd February,
1670-1 (which speech was burnt by the common hangman), he thus
adverted to that coin: "It is evident that there is scarcity of
money; for all the parliament's money called breeches (a fit stamp
for the coin of the Rump) is wholly vanished--the king's
proclamation and the Dutch have swept it all away, and of his now
majesty's coin there appears but very little; so that in effect we
have none left for common use, but a little old lean coined money of
the late three former princes. And what supply is preparing for it,
my lords? I hear of none, unless it be of copper farthings, and
this is the metal that is to vindicate, according to the inscription
on it, the dominion of the four seas."--Quoted in Penn's "Memorials
of Sir Wm. Penn," ii. 264.]

to pass in common payments, but they say it is to pass in publique
payments to the King three months still.

DIARY OF SAMUEL PEPYS.
DECEMBER
1661

December 1st (Lord's day). In the morning at church and heard Mr. Mills.
At home dined and with me by appointment Mr. Sanchy, who should have
brought his mistress, Mrs. Mary Archer, of Cambridge, but she could not
come, but we had a good dinner for him. And so in the afternoon my wife
went to church, and he and I stayed at home and drank and talked, and he
stayed with me till night and supped with me, when I expected to have seen
Jack Cole and Lem. Wagstaffe, but they did not come. We this day cut a
brave collar of brawn from Winchcombe which proves very good, and also
opened the glass of girkins which Captain Cocke did give my wife the other
day, which are rare things. So at night to bed. There hath lately been
great clapping up of some old statesmen, such as Ireton, Moyer, and
others, and they say, upon a great plot, but I believe no such thing; but
it is but justice that they should be served as they served the poor
Cavaliers; and I believe it will oftentimes be so as long as I live,
whether there be cause or no. This evening my brother Tom was with me,
and I did talk again to him about Mr. Townsend's daughter, and I do intend
to put the business in hand. I pray God give a good end to it.

2nd. To Savill the painter's, but he not being well I could do nothing
there, and so I returned home, and in my way met Mr. Moore and took him
with me home; where we staid and talked all the morning, and he dined with
me, and after dinner went away to the Privy Seal, this being our first day
this month. By and by called on by Mr. Sanchy and his mistress, and with
them by coach to the Opera, to see "The Mad Lover," but not much pleased
with the play. That done home all to my house, where they staid and
supped and were merry, and at last late bid good night and so we to bed.

3rd. To the Paynter's and sat and had more of my picture done; but it do
not please me, for I fear it will not be like me. At noon from thence to
the Wardrobe, where dinner not being ready Mr. Moore and I to the Temple
about my little business at Mr. Turner's, and so back again, and dinner
being half done I went in to my Lady, where my Lady Wright was at dinner
with her, and all our talk about the great happiness that my Lady Wright
says there is in being in the fashion and in variety of fashions, in scorn
of others that are not so, as citizens' wives and country gentlewomen,
which though it did displease me enough, yet I said nothing to it. Thence
by water to the office through bridge, being carried by him in oars that
the other day rowed in a scull faster than my oars to the Towre, and I did
give him 6d. At the office all the afternoon, and at night home to read
in "Mare Clausum" till bedtime, and so to bed, but had a very bad night by
dreams of my wife's riding with me and her horse throwing her and breaking
her leg, and then I dreamed that I . . . [was] in such pain that I waked
with it, and had a great deal of pain there a very great while till I fell
asleep again, and such apprehension I had of it that when I rose and
trussed up myself thinking that it had been no dream. Till in the daytime
I found myself very well at ease, and remembered that I did dream so, and
that Mr. Creed was with me, and that I did complain to him of it, and he
said he had the same pain in his left that I had in my right . . .
which pleased me much to remember.

4th. To Whitehall with both Sir Williams, thence by water, where I saw a
man lie dead upon Westminster Stairs that had been drowned yesterday. To
the Temple, and thence to Mr. Phillips and got my copy of Sturtlow lands.
So back to the 3 Tuns at Charing Cross, and there met the two Sir Williams
and Col. Treswell and Mr. Falconer, and dined there at Sir W. Pen's cost,
and after dinner by water to Cheapside to the painter's, and there found
my wife, and having sat a little she and I by coach to the Opera and
Theatre, but coming too late to both, and myself being a little out of
tune we returned, and I settled to read in "Mare Clausum" till bedtime,
and so to bed.

5th. This morning I went early to the Paynter's and there sat for my
picture the fourth time, but it do not yet please me, which do much
trouble me. Thence to the Treasury Office, where I found Sir W. Batten
come before me, and there we sat to pay off the St. George. By and by
came Sir W. Pen, and he and I staid while Sir W. Batten went home to
dinner, and then he came again, and Sir W. Pen and I went and dined at my
house, and had two mince pies sent thither by our order from the messenger
Slater, that had dressed some victuals for us, and so we were very merry,
and after dinner rode out in his coach, he to Whitehall, and my wife and I
to the Opera, and saw "Hamlett" well performed. Thence to the Temple and
Mrs. Turner's (who continues still very ill), and so home and to bed.

6th. Lay long in bed, and then to Westminster Hall and there walked, and
then with Mr. Spicer, Hawly, Washington, and little Mr. Ashwell (my old
friends at the Exchequer) to the Dog, and gave them two or three quarts of
wine, and so away to White Hall, where, at Sir G. Carteret's, Sir Williams
both and I dined very pleasantly; and after dinner, by appointment, came
the Governors of the East India Company, to sign and seal the contract
between us

[Charles II.'s charter to the Company, confirming and extending the
former charter, is dated April 3rd, 1661. Bombay, just acquired as
part of Queen Katherine's dowry, was made over to the Company by
Letters Patent dated March 27th, 1669.]

(in the King's name) and them. And that done, we all went to the King's
closet, and there spoke with the King and the Duke of York, who promise to
be very careful of the India trade to the utmost. So back to Sir G.
Carteret's and ended our business, and so away homewards, but Sir W.
Batten offering to go to the 3 Tuns at Charing Cross, where the pretty
maid the daughter of the house is; I was saying that, that tickled Sir W.
Pen, he seemed to take these words very captiously and angrily, which I
saw, and seemed indifferent to go home in his coach with them, and so took
leave to go to the Council Chamber to speak with my Lord Privy Seal, which
I did, but they did stay for me, which I was pleased at, but no words
passed between him and me in all our way home. So home and to bed.

7th. This morning comes Captain Ferrers and the German, Emanuel Luffe,
who goes as one of my Lord's footmen, though he deserves a much better
preferment, to take their leave of me, and here I got the German to play
upon my theorbo, which he did both below and in my wife's chamber, who was
in bed. He plays bravely. I find by him that my lute is a most excellent
lute. I did give them a mince pie and a collar of brawn and some wine for
their breakfast, and were very merry, and sent for Mr. Adamson's neighbour
to drink Mr. Shepley's health. At last we all parted, but within a
quarter of an hour after they were gone, and my wife and I were talking
about buying of a fine scallop which is brought her this morning by a
woman to be sold, which is to cost her 45s., in comes the German back
again, all in a goare of blood, which I wondered at, and tells me that he
is afeard that the Captain is killed by the watermen at Towre Stayres; so
I presently went thither, and found that upon some rude pressing of the
watermen to ply the Captain, he struck one of them with his cane, which
they would not take, but struck him again, and then the German drew his
sword and ran at one of them, but they were both soundly beaten.

[See a similar outrage, committed by Captain Ferrers, September
12th, 1662. Swords were usually worn by footmen. See May 4th,
1662, host.--B.]

The Captain is, however, got to the boy that carries him and the pages to
the Downs, and I went into the alehouse at the Stayres and got them to
deliver the Captain's feathers, which one from the Captain was come to
demand, and went home again, and there found my wife dressing of the
German's head, and so did [give] him a cravett for his neck, and a crown
in his purse, and sent him away again. Then came Mr. Moore, and he and I
to Westminster and to Worcester House to see Mr. Montagu before he goes
away (this night), but could not see him, nor do I think he has a mind to
see us for fear of our demanding of money of him for anything. So back to
Whitehall, and eat a bit of meat at Wilkinson's, and then to the Privy
Seal, and sealed there the first time this month; and, among other things
that passed, there was a patent for Roger Palmer (Madam Palmer's husband)
to be Earl of Castlemaine and Baron of Limbricke in Ireland; but the
honour is tied up to the males got of the body of this wife, the Lady
Barbary: the reason whereof every body knows. That done, by water to the
office, when I found Sir W. Pen had been alone all the night and was just
rose, and so I to him, and with him I found Captain Holmes, who had wrote
his case, and gives me a copy, as he hath many among his friends, and
presented the same to the King and Council. Which I shall make use of in
my attempt of writing something concerning the business of striking sail,
which I am now about. But he do cry out against Sir John Minnes, as the
veriest knave and rogue and coward in the world, which I was glad to hear,
because he has given out bad words concerning my Lord, though I am sorry
it is so. Here Captain Cox then came in, and he and I staid a good while
and so good night. Home and wrote by the post to my father, and so to
bed.

8th (Lord's day). In bed all the morning thinking to take physique, but
it being a frost my wife would not have me. So to dinner at the Wardrobe,
and after a great deal of good discourse with my Lady after dinner, and
among other things of the great christening yesterday at Mr. Rumbell's,
and courtiers and pomp that was there, which I wonder at, I went away up
and down into all the churches almost between that place and my house, and
so home. And then came my brother Tom, and staid and talked with me, and
I hope he will do very well and get money. So to supper and to bed. This
morning as I was in bed, one brings me T. Trice's answer to my bill in
chancery from Mr. Smallwood, which I am glad to see, though I am afraid it
will do me hurt.

9th. To Whitehall, and thence to the Rhenish wine-house, where I met
Mons. Eschar and there took leave of him, he being to go this night to the
Downs towards Portugall, and so spent all the morning. At noon to dinner
to the Wardrobe; where my Lady Wright was, who did talk much upon the
worth and the desert of gallantry; and that there was none fit to be
courtiers, but such as have been abroad and know fashions. Which I
endeavoured to oppose; and was troubled to hear her talk so, though she be
a very wise and discreet lady in other things. From thence Mr. Moore and
I to the Temple about my law business with my cozen Turner, and there we
read over T. Trice's answer to my bill and advised thereupon what to do in
his absence, he being to go out of town to-morrow. Thence he and I to Mr.
Walpole, my attorney, whom I never saw before, and we all to an alehouse
hard by, and there we talked of our business, and he put me into great
hopes, but he is but a young man, and so I do not depend so much upon his
encouragement. So by coach home, and to supper, and to bed, having staid
up till 12 at night writing letters to my Lord Sandwich and all my friends
with him at sea, to send to-morrow by Mons. Eschar, who goes tomorrow post
to the Downs to go along with the fleet to Portugall.

10th. To Whitehall, and there finding Mons. Eschar to be gone, I sent my
letters by a porter to the posthouse in Southwark to be sent by despatch
to the Downs. So to dinner to my Lord Crew's by coach, and in my way had
a stop of above an hour and a half, which is a great trouble this
Parliament time, but it cannot be helped. However I got thither before my
Lord come from the House, and so dined with him, and dinner done, home to
the office, and there sat late and so home.

11th. My brother Tom and then Mr. Moore came to me this morning, and
staid a while with me, and then I went out, and in my way met with Mr.
Howell the Turner, who invited me to dine this day at Mr. Rawlinson's with
some friends of his, officers of the Towre, at a venison pasty, which I
promised him, and so I went to the Old Bayly, and there staid and drank
with him, who told me the whole story how Pegg Kite has married herself to
a weaver, an ugly fellow, to her undoing, of which I am glad that I have
nothing to do in it. From thence home and put on my velvet coat, and so
to the Mitre to dinner according to my promise this morning, but going up
into the room I found at least 12 or more persons, and knew not the face
of any of them, so I went down again, and though I met Mr. Yong the
upholster yet I would not be persuaded to stay, but went away and walked
to the Exchequer, and up and down, and was very hungry, and from thence
home, when I understand Mr. Howell was come for me to go thither, but I am
glad I was not at home, and my wife was gone out by coach to Clerkenwell
to see Mrs. Margaret Pen, who is at school there. So I went to see Sir W.
Pen, who for this two or three days has not been well, and he and I after
some talk took a coach and went to Moorfields, and there walked, though it
was very cold, an hour or two, and went into an alehouse, and there I
drank some ale and eat some bread and cheese, but he would not eat a bit,
and so being very merry we went home again. He to his lodgings and I by
promise to Sir W. Batten's, where he and my lady have gone out of town,
and so Mrs. Martha was at home alone, and Mrs. Moore and there I supped
upon some good things left of yesterday's dinner there, where dined a
great deal of company--Sir R. Browne and others--and by and by comes in
Captain Cox who promised to be here with me, but he staid very late, and
had been drinking somewhere and was very drunk, and so very capricious,
which I was troubled to see in a man that I took for a very wise and wary
man. So I home and left him there, and so to bed.

12th. We lay long in bed, then up and made me ready, and by and by come
Will Bowyer and Mr. Gregory, my old Exchequer friend, to see me, and I
took them to the Dolphin and there did give them a good morning draft, and
so parted, and invited them and all my old Exchequer acquaintance to come
and dine with me there on Wednesday next. From thence to the Wardrobe and
dined with my Lady, where her brother, Mr. John Crew, dined also, and a
strange gentlewoman dined at the table as a servant of my Lady's; but I
knew her not, and so I am afeard that poor Madamoiselle was gone, but I
since understand that she is come as housekeeper to my Lady, and is a
married woman. From thence to Westminster to my Lord's house to meet my
Lord Privy Seal, who appointed to seal there this afternoon, but by and by
word is brought that he is come to Whitehall, and so we are fain to go
thither to him, and there we staid to seal till it was so late that though
I got leave to go away before he had done, yet the office was done before
I could get thither, and so to Sir W. Pen's, and there sat and talked and
drank with him, and so home.

13th. At home all the morning, being by the cold weather, which for these
two days has been frost, in some pain in my bladder. Dined at home and
then with my wife to the Paynter's, and there she sat the first time to be
drawn, while I all the while stood looking on a pretty lady's picture,
whose face did please me extremely. At last, he having done, I found that
the dead colour of my wife is good, above what I expected, which pleased
me exceedingly. So home and to the office about some special business,
where Sir Williams both were, and from thence with them to the Steelyard,
where my Lady Batten and others came to us, and there we drank and had
musique and Captain Cox's company, and he paid all, and so late back again
home by coach, and so to bed.

14th. All the morning at home lying in bed with my wife till 11 o'clock.
Such a habit we have got this winter of lying long abed. Dined at home,
and in the afternoon to the office. There sat late, and so home and to
bed.

15th (Lord's day). To church in the morning, where our young Reader begun
the first day to read. Sir W. Pen dined with me and we were merry. Again
to church and so home, and all alone read till bedtime, and so to prayers
and to bed. I have been troubled this day about a difference between my
wife and her maid Nell, who is a simple slut, and I am afeard we shall
find her a cross-grained wench. I am now full of study about writing
something about our making of strangers strike to us at sea; and so am
altogether reading Selden and Grotius, and such other authors to that
purpose.

16th. Up by five o'clock this morning by candlelight (which I have not
done for many a day), being called upon by one Mr. Bollen by appointment,
who has business to be done with my Lord Privy Seal this morning, and so
by coach, calling Mr. Moore at the Wardrobe, to Chelsy, and there did get
my Lord to seal it. And so back again to Westminster Hall, and thence to
my Lord Sandwich's lodging, where I met my wife (who had been to see Mrs.
Hunt who was brought to bed the other day of a boy), and got a joint of
meat thither from the Cook's, and she and I and Sarah dined together, and
after dinner to the Opera, where there was a new play ("Cutter of Coleman
Street"),

[Cutter, an old word for a rough swaggerer: hence the title of
Cowley's play. It was originally called "The Guardian," when acted
before Prince Charles at Trinity College, Cambridge, on March 12th,
1641.]

made in the year 1658, with reflections much upon the late times; and it
being the first time, the pay was doubled, and so to save money, my wife
and I went up into the gallery, and there sat and saw very well; and a
very good play it is. It seems of Cowly's making. From thence by coach
home, and to bed.

17th. Up and to the Paynter's to see how he went forward in our picture.
So back again to dinner at home, and then was sent for to the Privy Seal,
whither I was forced to go and stay so long and late that I was much
vexed. At last we got all done, and then made haste to the office, where
they were sat, and there we sat late, and so home to supper and to Selden,
"Mare Clausum," and so to bed.

18th. At the office upon business extraordinary all the morning, then to
my Lady Sandwich's to dinner, whither my wife, who had been at the
painter's, came to me, and there dined, and there I left her, and to the
Temple my brother and I to see Mrs. Turner, who begins to be better, and
so back to my Lady's, where much made of, and so home to my study till
bed-time, and so to bed.

19th. This morning my wife dressed herself fine to go to the christening
of Mrs. Hunt's child, and so she and I in the way in the morning went to
the Paynter s, and there she sat till noon, and I all the while looking
over great variety of good prints which he had, and by and by comes my boy
to tell us that Mrs. Hunt has been at our house to tell us that the
christening is not till Saturday next. So after the Paynter had done I
did like the picture pretty well, and my wife and I went by coach home,
but in the way I took occasion to fall out with my wife very highly about
her ribbands being ill matched and of two colours, and to very high words,
so that, like a passionate fool, I did call her whore, for which I was
afterwards sorry. But I set her down at home, and went myself by
appointment to the Dolphin, where Sir W. Warren did give us all a good
dinner, and that being done, to the office, and there sat late, and so
home.

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